Exclusive: ‘Killer Elite’ Director Gary McKendry Gushes About De Niro, Statham and Owen

By  · Published on August 19th, 2011

It’s true that Robert De Niro, Jason Statham and Clive Owen make a type of dream team when it comes to action movies, especially ones that involve kidnapped mentors and the promise/threat of revenge.

At the very least, it’s a ridiculous line-up for a first time feature director. To that point, here’s co-writer/director Gary McKendry explaining very briefly what it was like getting the gig and hearing who he’d be working with:

Not the deepest, burning insight, but who can blame him? He’s excited. You would be too if you landed your first movie job and got to work with that kind of talent. The trailer for the film showed some promise, but as with any action flick, it’s the talking and story that are most at stake. That being said, even a dumb plot can be overcome by Jason Statham backflipping out a window while strapped to a chair.

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